The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[Mtn Laurel]

Bee, a number of reasons why I got into chickens -

1. Eggs - love 'em!
2. Poo - we grow veggies and I know the value of chicken poo compost.
3. Self-sufficiency. I don't like to be dependent on stores for everything I eat. You never know when a lean time might hit and I can't get to or afford the store.
4. Memory. Have great memories of getting eggs at my grandmother's. Now that I'm a grandma, wanted to pass that onto my grandchildren.
5. History - Maybe that's mixed with memory, don't know. I'm a big history buff and I love doing things "the old way".

Notice I didn't say "meat" but I'm working towards that. I've fished and hunted and cleaned and gutted since childhood but haven't killed and eaten anything I've raised.

Yet. One baby step at a time . . . ^_^

 

[Turkeytruff]

I have never butchered out a turkey..I would love to witness one. My DH does not think this piece of property is enough for turkeys too, he is probably right. It is only a few acres.
I think most people feed 100% FF. The pellets are in the fermented bucket (mash)

Yes, it was interesting, once you get past the gross

bit of doing them in. How much space do you have? You probably have more space than I have

. Acreage is not a problem if you have one field they can use. I have a henhouse (10 x 14 feet? haven't measured it) with an enclosed yard next to my raised beds garden and then a small (.15 acre) field - they were pretty happy to hang out with the chickens, eat FF, and wander up and down the field eating the grass and other goodies there. (oh, and eat my heritage cabbages and brussel sprouts i hadn't walled off, Fort Knox like, grr

. ) I need to build long wire cages to put over all the raised beds. Next project...

That sounds about right or some variation of that. It doesn't have to be an exact science, as long as the nutrients fall away in the winter.

Sounds like you had fun!

And it sounds like you butchered your big eaters. Now that they are out of the way you are going to find yourself feeding much less and the portions will have to be adjusted to your new flock matrix, so now's the time to see how much they truly need to sustain.

I'm feeding almost half what I was previously feeding and find the birds quite comfortable with it but each flock is different.

Mash is just fine ground layer ration...yours is just pelleted, but before it was steamed and cut, it was mash just like mine. All rations are fermented but the layer ration is mixed with whole grains at 1:1 ratio.

Congrats! That turkey should be good eatin'....

Thank you Bee! I wouldn't have done it without this amazing forum and your's and other's practical wisdom and encouragement!
so I need to cut the FF with 50% pellets.
And yes, I still have 2 24 week old turkeys who eat a lot - I have cut down today and will add the pellets.

I also think good will is the only way to shop. I couldn't pass up finding 2 identical dresses in the right size for my granddaughters for $3.00



The mugs are beautiful. You certainly are on to something.

These 2 are my chicken wranglers. They love to throw grain to them and are not afraid of them.

What a pair of sweethearts! And yes, thrift shops are fantastic for the bargains you can find! Love those little dresses!

Aoxa, Bee you guys are killing me. My friend just took me on an all day hit every Goodwill in 30 miles trip. We left at noon and got back at 8:30. Had an absolute blast it was 50% day and my friend has a valued customer card for another 20% and then a bonus 10% for using it this we. I havent laughed so hard in a long time.

Please tell me you are exaggerating about the lazy footie thingie.
I know you are making that **** up!
With your beautiful chickens and yard and stuff...
You are pulling our legs!
L

Mountain Momma, you & your friend rock! 80 % off Goodwill???

I pride myself on my hunter gatherer Mennonite gene, as my DH calls it, but you definitely win on that one

Armorfirelady- I started out with 7 PRs. I now have 3. 2 were lost to predators, rooster was mean and had to be culled, and 1 had water belly and had to be culled. I Got mine from mcmurray. I can't remember exact POL for them, but they were hatched out last year April 18th and laid in late October through end of November. The funny thing about these birds, is they are either chock-full of personality or completely nondescript. I have one named Bossy Hen too. The other "assertive" one is named Bitchy. She is so named because of her screaming behavior during broodiness. I will never forget the sound when I walked into the hen house during the spring. I don't know if you ever seen the alien movies, but when Ripley startes torching the Allen's eggs... And the alien lets out that horrible scream... Well, that's bitchy when she's broody! Now Bossy, she talks to me the whole time I'm out in the yard. I say, "Hello Boss." She clucks and cheeps. "You keeping the other girls in line?" She replies with a "bokbokbobok". After I stop talking to her, she keeps going likes she's telling me what to do. Whenever I step outside, and I can always tell where Bossy is. I ask in a quiet voice, "where are all the chickens?" And bossy lets me know "over here scratching". I really enjoy the breed.

Love your Bitchy & Bossy stories!

What a fantastic photo and story to have! Thank you for sharing this with us!!

MB - I love the story about your name! I didn't have my first until I was 26, and then I had an 8 year dry spell - heck of a struggle with infertility! Had my 2nd at 34 and then we got the surprise of our lives when I got pg without trying at 37!! I sure got sick of the OB referring to "advanced maternal age." It was like I was some sort of strange prehistoric creature wandering into their office.

I ended up in bed for both the 2nd and 3rd pregnancies... for different reasons of course, because I simply can't do things the "normal way."
Congrats!!!

Too stinkin' cute for words!!!

At age 37 my blood pressure was trying to reach a new world's record in my 3rd pregnancy. Needless to say my kiddo spent 16 weeks in the hospital.

2 lbs. 7 oz. - I actually wrote a childrens' book about having a sibling in the NICU - The Littlest Sister.
And yesterday - she's still tiny for her age (6), but kids with Down syndrome are on the smaller side anyway. She's a healthy, happy kid!

Thank you for sharing this Bulldogma. It's incredible what some women have to go through to conceive, and I'm glad she is healthy and happy!

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, a number of reasons why I got into chickens -

1. Eggs - love 'em!
2. Poo - we grow veggies and I know the value of chicken poo compost.
3. Self-sufficiency. I don't like to be dependent on stores for everything I eat. You never know when a lean time might hit and I can't get to or afford the store.
4. Memory. Have great memories of getting eggs at my grandmother's. Now that I'm a grandma, wanted to pass that onto my grandchildren.
5. History - Maybe that's mixed with memory, don't know. I'm a big history buff and I love doing things "the old way".

Notice I didn't say "meat" but I'm working towards that. I've fished and hunted and cleaned and gutted since childhood but haven't killed and eaten anything I've raised.

Yet. One baby step at a time . . . ^_^

Here's questions that must always be asked at this point.

• How long will your chickens produce eggs and, when they are through doing this, what will you do with the chicken?
• If you plan to have them "retire" gently at your place, eventually none will be laying but your flock will keep growing exponentially if you keep hatching younger birds to bear the weight of egg laying~do you feel that the level of self-sufficiency you are trying to obtain will be supported by financing the feeding of numerous non-producing stock? In other words, do you feel that you can ever reach any level of self-sufficiency while feeding that many pets?
• Dying of old age is not romantic and is most often preceded by illness and infirmity~what will you do for these birds at that time or, better yet, how will you prevent them going into that stage of their lives in order to prevent suffering?
• There will come a time when a chicken is showing signs of going into decline but are not yet unhealthy~will you cull them before they reach the stage of suffering and then just throw away the meat? Or will you let them go all the way into illness before you will kill them and then waste the meat?

 

[Mountain Momma]

Tell ME why most of you are getting into keeping chickens and I can tell you the right breeds for the needs expressed, in regards to eggs and meat. For ornamental/bantam/game bird breeds that people get as pets or to preserve the breed, I can't really relate to that. All my breed knowledge is based around plain ol' working breeds that produce eggs, eggs and meat or just meat.

I got into chickens because:
A) to be a more independant person when it comes to food
B) to teach my kids how to take care of animals that are not really pets
C) to provide healthier food for my family
D) to give my kids a grounding in food production
E) to get good at something I had no experience with
F) to occupy myself with something that has a certain worth
G) to get better tasting eggs and meat

I've evolved or devolved a little bit to a longing for beautiful birds as well as everything else. Not stange looking but I'd like to notice that my flock is consistantly attractive and energetic etc. My birds are larger than many of my friends birds and never great layers but very consistant layers and healthier than the ones nearest me. I think I could cull 5-6 of mine and improve the general look of the flock easily enough but over time I want to see brighter colors and a decidedly beautiful flock. I am mentally shuffling in this direction. When I see the posts of the lovely flocks with nearly every chicken well proportioned and robust it makes me look at my flock with a critical eye. When I see that cornish Roo I imagine a whole flock of birds like him and it seems so beautiful to me.
L

 

[smyers32]

Would you knowingly go into an area with Cholera? Many people in areas where it is endemic have a pretty good immunity to it. How about drinking the water in Mexico? The resident Mexicans don't get Montezuma's revenge, but anyone from the US who drinks the water is playing Russian roulette.

Trying to get a rare breed point to the point that you can really get serious about culling is hard enough. If they need a little help in developing immunity to our diseases and parasites after their importation, it's worth it. The second generation should have developed some immunity. THEN you can start culling for vigor, etc.

Ugh, I'm so far behind! I know this is entirely irrelevant, but it's a fun fact anyway. It's not that Mexicans have immunities to the bugs in the tap water there, it's that they don't drink it either! Not with out it being boiled or otherwise treated. Most have big office type water coolers in the house for drinking water. The tap water is just plain bad.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I got into chickens first for eggs and poo for the garden. As always, things change, or grow. So I am now looking at eggs, poo and a bit of meat...like extra roos, unthrifty hens...(but most likely NOT with this first bunch).

 

[Beekissed]

I got into chickens because:
A) to be a more independant person when it comes to food MM, could you clarify this one for me, if you would? What does food independence mean to you?
B) to teach my kids how to take care of animals that are not really pets
C) to provide healthier food for my family This is one I hear a lot and I definitely want to discuss this one as it pertains to all natural husbandry.
D) to give my kids a grounding in food production This one is also one I hear a lot but it needs to be explained to many on BYC, so this will be addressed as well.
E) to get good at something I had no experience with
F) to occupy myself with something that has a certain worth
G) to get better tasting eggs and meat

I've evolved or devolved a little bit to a longing for beautiful birds as well as everything else. Not stange looking but I'd like to notice that my flock is consistantly attractive and energetic etc. My birds are larger than many of my friends birds and never great layers but very consistant layers and healthier than the ones nearest me. I think I could cull 5-6 of mine and improve the general look of the flock easily enough but over time I want to see brighter colors and a decidedly beautiful flock. I am mentally shuffling in this direction. When I see the posts of the lovely flocks with nearly every chicken well proportioned and robust it makes me look at my flock with a critical eye. When I see that cornish Roo I imagine a whole flock of birds like him and it seems so beautiful to me.
L

Keep 'em coming! I'm really getting an idea of why folks are getting into chickens and I have also learned a few things about you all that I didn't know and it can help me proceed with advice on breeds and methods.

 

[Beekissed]

Ugh, I'm so far behind! I know this is entirely irrelevant, but it's a fun fact anyway. It's not that Mexicans have immunities to the bugs in the tap water there, it's that they don't drink it either! Not with out it being boiled or otherwise treated. Most have big office type water coolers in the house for drinking water. The tap water is just plain bad.

Good point.

 

[Bulldogma]

I got into chickens for the eggs - I have celiac and eggs, in their various forms, make up a large percentage of my meals.
I also thought it would be good for the children to learn about food animals.
Now... we're likely going to progress into getting some meat birds in the spring... and a turkey poult.

 

[maryhysong]

I"m not a newby, I totaled it up today and have about 11 years experience in chickens under my belt; but mostly as a buy day old chicks and keep for eggs kind of person. Tho we did do an occasional batch of meaties I found (back in the 80s) that because I lived near the huge chicken factories I could buy chicken for less than half what it cost to grow my own. I've raised my food standards tho and now I don't care if they cost more, because now I really know what those chicken factories are like.

That said I like having chickens for eggs and meat. I am also attracted to breeding, for the SOP as well as production qualities. No one around me sells chicks except one feed store for a few weeks a year and that's it. I want to be able to provide quality stock for reasonable prices, especially to our 4H kids for show. I also want colorful eggs to sell June-Oct at my farmer's market. That's why I picked up a bunch of EEs to go along with the Buff Orpingtons, Welsummers and the Black Copper Marans.

I'm trying to find a processor within a reasonable distance that could do batches of meaties, that I could sell at the market also, but that may be impossible.